Electric door switch



7 April 11, 1939. w. o. HODGES 2,153,835

' ELECTRIC DOOR SWITCH Filed Feb. 1, 193a MM Mil/AM 0. HODGES.

Patented Apr. 11, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

The invention relates to an electric door switch.

An object of the invention is the construction of a simple and efiicient switch which will be operated by the movement of the door associated therewith, when the door is opened or closed.

Another object of the invention is the construction of a door operated switch in which I employ a swinging unit together with a blade carried by said unit.

A further object of the invention is the construction of a switch which can be easily mounted in the door jamb (on either jamb or on top jamb) and which will positively operate, when the door is opened, to control in an efiicient manner the opening or closing of an electrical circuit to a light or electrical device or signal.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts as will be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a switch constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing the same as it appears mounted upon a door jamb or the like.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2, Figure 1, and looking in the direction of the arrows; a signal is shown in this view connected to the switch.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view through the middle of the switch, showing same as it appears when the circuit is broken.

Figure 4 is a sectional line taken on line 4-4, Figure 2, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical central sectional view of the swinging unit.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the swinging unit.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the blade which is adapted to be attached to the swinging unit.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the knife or terminal unit.

Referring to the drawing by numerals, I designates the door jamb and 2 the door, of any preferred construction. Suitably positioned in the door jamb l is a switch box or casing 3. This switch box or casing 3 is provided with inturned ears 4 for receiving screws 5. By means of screws 5 a face strap or plate 6 is secured in position upon the switch box 3. This plate 6 is provided with inwardly-extending ears 1 (Fig. 5) for the purpose hereinafter described.

A switch casing 8 is placed within switch box 3 and is secured by screws 9 to face plate 6, Fig. 1. This switch casing 8 is formed ofany suitable insulating material.

Within switch casing 8 and at opposite portions thereof are two terminal knives or units l0 (Fig. 8), each comprising a plate II with 10 sharpened tongue I2. In aperture I3 a suitable fastening device, such as a screw, is inserted for securing the terminal unit ill to the switch casing 8. In the aperture I4 a terminal screw l5 extends (Fig. 2). The inner end of wires l5 16 are connected to terminal screws l5 and are also suitably connected to signal H, which while being shown as a bell, may be of any desired form or structure, such as a light or the like.

The swinging unit l8 (Fig. 6) comprises a 20 V-shape body l9 which has inwardly-extending parallel ears 20 that are mounted on the pin or bolt 2|; this bolt 2| is mounted on ears I of face plate 6. The V-shape body I9 is provided at one side with an integral depending apron 22. This apron 22 has a pair of apertures 23 into which extend fastening means, such as rivets 24, which rivets also extend through the U-shape body 25 of the brass or copper blade 26. Between the blade 26 and apron 22 is a strip of insulation 0 21, and with the insulation 28, around rivets 24, the blade 26 i suitably insulated from apron 22. The blade 26 is provided at each end with a pair of parallel flat fingers 29, into which one of the prongs l2 of the terminal unit I 0' is adapted to fit.

Around bolt 2| is a coil spring 30, one end 3| bearing against the switch casing 8 and the other end 32 bearing against the inner face of the V-shape body 19, whereby the spring normally holds the spring unit l8 inv a projected position, as per Figure 4.

The terminal units H] are positioned in the switch casing 8 so that when the door is moved outwardly, or opened from a closed position, it will release tension on spring 30 causing the 46 swinging unit 18 to spring out, whereupon the blade 26 will have its fingers 29 straddling the tongues l2 of terminal units l0, thereby closing the circuit, through wires 16, whereupon the signal I! will be operated.

To prevent the swinging unit l8 from moving too far outward, I form stop lugs 32 upon its ends, close to the ears 20, whereby as spring 30 forces the swinging member 18 to its outwardlyextending position, lugs 32 will engage the inner as face of the plate 6 and thereby stop the swinging or pivotal movement of said unit I8; the position of these lugs 32 is clearly shown in Fig. 2.

This invention is especially adapted as a closet door switch, whereby the opening of a door will cause a bulb inside the closet to be illuminated, and on closing the door will cause the light in the bulb to be extinguished. When the switch is placed in a door jamb or window jamb, said switch will operate on opening of the door or window. It can also be used as a burglar alarm by placing the switch in a door jamb or window jamb or any opening where the switch can be placed, whereby on opening the door, window, transom, or any covering that the openings may have, the switch will operate to close the circuit, thereby actuating the alarm. The signal I! can be set, for instance, by throwing a switch (not shown) whereupon the occupant of a room or building, when retiring, can place the signal in position to operate provided a thief or intruder should try to enter through doorway, window, or any opening equipped with my switch.

While I have described the preferred embodiment of my invention and illustrated the same in the accompanying drawing, minor changes or alterations may appear to one skilled in the art to which this invention relates, during the extensive manufacture of the same, and I, therefore, reserve the right to make such changes or alterations as shall fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an electric door switch, the combination with a casing, of a pair of terminal units fastened to the faces of the inside ends of said casing, each terminal unit comprising a flat plate provided at one end with an outwardly-extending sharp tongue, terminal screws extending through portions of said casing and said plates near one end of said plates, a swinging unit and means mounting said swinging unit on said casing, said swinging unit being adapted to swing cross-wise of said casing between said terminals, and a bodily-movable blade carried by one side of said swinging unit and being adapted to contact said sharp tongues of said terminals.

2. In an electric door switch, the combination with a non-conducting casing, a face plate on said casing, terminals provided with inwardlyextending tongues at opposite ends of said casing, a swinging unit in said casing, means pivotally mounting said swinging unit upon said face plate, said swinging unit comprising a V- shaped body, said body provided at one side with inwardly-extending parallel ears engaged by said pivotally mounting means, said body provided at one side with a depending apron and on the same side with outwardly-extending stop lugs, said stop lugs being adapted to engage said face plate ior limiting the outward movement of. said swinging unit, a blade and means insulatingly mounting said blade upon said apron of said swinging unit, said blade comprising a V-shape body provided at opposite ends with outwardly-extending sets of spaced flat fingers, and each set of fingers being adapted to straddle and clamp upon a tongue of a terminal, substantially as shown and described.

WILLIAM O. HODGES. 

